Stranger
by Shahanna
Summary: To leave the land of your birth, to live among strangers, to speak a foreign tongue. A young Shin’a’in takes a path other than the one he was born to.
1. To leave a home

_All credit goes to Mercedes Lackey, the world and culture of Valdemar and its surrounding lands are hers. No profit is being made from this work of fanfiction, the only claim I can make is to my original characters. If you wish to borrow, please ask first._

Wind-worn features peered up at the rim far overhead as the sun sank slowly in the western sky. Tarin Shin'ta'laen shook his head and abruptly decided that the day was too far gone to make the ascent. He glanced sideways at his uncle who seemed to understand. They made their way to the base of the cliff and began to pitch camp in the silence of long habit. This too would soon be gone.

After camp was made – long after – Tarin finally spoke.

"I suppose this is as far as you will come, Uncle."

"Suppose that's right."

An awkward silence swept between them, neither knew what to say. Eventually they both went to their bed rolls, a long day's riding had taken its toll.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Tarin woke as dawn's first glimmering crept into the sky. Elation, anticipation, and grief almost overwhelmed him from the first moment of awareness. He shoved the emotional chaos into the back of his mind and began to cook breakfast for himself and his uncle.

His uncle woke as the scent of a hot meal drifted on an errant breeze.

"You sure about this, boy?"

Tarin grimaced. His uncle would not accept that he was almost grown. At seventeen summers, he had reached his full height although his strength was still maturing.

"As ready as I shall ever be, uncle."

Evasions, even here among kin. He was not ready, was not sure how one could ever be ready to leave all you had ever known and live among strangers, speak a strange language, adapt to an entirely new culture. He was leaving the plains, they would never again be his home.

He stood abruptly, began to pack his few possessions. A few changes of cloths, some horses carved by his uncle. Nothing of any real value here. He rolled his blankets from the night before and bound them to his light pack. Packed. There were only his farewells to make, and those the hardest of all.

He turned to his uncle, the man who had raised him, the man who had always understood him. Until now, until he decided to leave the Plains.

Still, no words. A brief hug, rare from a man who kept his distance. He walked over to his horse, a mare. Fed her a bit of fruit, whispered into her ear.

"Be safe my love, bear my cousin well."

He would need no horse where he went, and she would not belong. It tore out his heart to leave this intelligent little mare that he had raised and trained, but it had to be done.

Tarin turned, faced his uncle.

"Blessing of the Lady upon you, uncle." Bowed and left, not looking back on either land or kin. His guide from k'Valdemar would be waiting at the rim by now.

It was time to go.

_My first attempt at Valdemar fanfic, so please tell me if I break cannon. Anyone think they know why Tarin is leaving?_


	2. A night for tales

            Tarin stood at the edge of the plains, looking at the sea of grass far below. His uncle was nothing more than a speck in the distance by now, moving farther away ever moment. Tarin sighed, and stepped away from the precept. A rustle behind him let him know that his guide was approaching. The unknown person was being generous, usually the Tayledras made no sound in the wild. Tarin turned and hailed the approaching person.

            "Hello!" a masculine voice called back.

            A tall figure seemed to materialize in the clearing, Tarin started. He had forgotten that particular habit of blending in. The man who stood before him was unfamiliar, but obviously a scout. His hair was long as any mage's, but dyed a mottled green and brown to match the summer growth of the Pelagirs. He glanced up and held out a gloved hand to a hawk that came darting in.

            "Are you the Shin'a'in I am to escort?" The man's voice was warm and mellow, the words touched with a hint of irony. His grasp of the common trade tongue was passable, if not fluent. "I am Stillwater of k'Valdemar Vale and this is my bondbird, Tosha. Darian asked us to escort you to the fringe of the k'Vala"

            Tarin nodded. "Yes, I am Tarin."

            "What? No family name? Not like most Shin'a'in I know…" The man's voice trailed off into an unspoken question.

            Tarin shook his head. "No, I am not like most Shin'a'in. My family name has been left behind, from now on I am of k'Vala."

            Stillwater gave him a puzzled look but evidently decided not to press farther. They had a long journey together and he did not want to create tension between them before they had even begun.

            Tarin glanced over at the other man. "If I may ask, what is a k'Valdemar scout doing so far outside your territory?"

            The other man laughed. "My sister is bonded to one of the Kaled'a'in men, and I have a new baby nephew. When I told Darian I wanted to visit he asked me to escort you on the way back. We figured that you would appreciate, having never left the plains."

            Tarin nodded in response. He was glad to know that nobody had been put out by his request for an escort. Stillwater was probably looking forward to visiting k'Vala as well. The vale was one of the oldest and had a reputation for opulence unequaled by the others. It attracted the older mages because of this reputation, and had become quite a place for mage work. Many of the recent innovations in magic had come out of k'Vala, and many master level mages with adept potential went there for training. That was, in fact, why Tarin had chosen k'Vala as his destination. He was a master mage, had received his training up to that point with one of the Lady's shamans.

            He had been one of the first plains trained mages… had worked hard to prove that it could be done. There were more now, however most never achieved adept status. The Shin'a'in had little use for such rankings, had little use for magic if the truth were to be told. Master rankings were useful enough, the smaller magics were welcomed into everyday life without a hitch. Tarin wanted more than that however – and his teacher had agreed that he could achieve more as well. It was this, in part that had driven him from the plains.

            "Tarin?" The older man sounded like he was repeating himself. Tarin realized that he had drifted, staring out over the expanse below. He recalled himself and nodded.

            "Let's go."

* * *

  


            Stillwater glanced across the dwindling fire at his younger companion. When he had first agreed to escort the Shin'a'in mage to k'Vala he had expected a young man like all other Shin'a'in he had met – high spirited, full of proverbs, and perhaps a bit more flamboyant than the typical Shin'a'in, were that possible. Instead he had met this young man, Tarin, who was the exact opposite of everything he had expected. He was quiet most of the time, introspective. He had not mentioned a single proverb either… not that Stillwater was objecting to that! In fact, this was one unusual young man…

            "I suppose you are wondering why I left the plains." The remark was somewhere between a statement and a question.

            "I was not going to ask."

            "But you were wondering." Glint of humor there. It was hard to tell the difference between humor and seriousness sometimes with Tarin.

            Stillwater nodded. He had been wondering, but did not want to force the younger man to speak if he was uncomfortable with it.

            Tarin gave him a look as if to say _I told you so_and resumed speaking, his light tenor voice a pleasant counterpart to the crackling fire.

            "My parents died when I was too young to remember. A sickness had swept through the camp, something our healers could not deal with. Perhaps the healers in Haven could have but…" He shook his head as if to clear it of something distasteful. "I was raised by my uncle, my father's brother. He was a kind enough man, but distant. He had no clue how to raise a child, so he treated me as a rather small adult from the first. He would help with the things clearly beyond me, but if I was expected to take care of myself as much as I could. That set me apart from the other children as I grew… I never could understand why they went to their parents at every little thing. If I fell down I picked myself up, brushed off, and went on playing. Running to Uncle never even occurred to me.

            "When I got a little older – about ten – my mage powers started manifesting. The elders were surprised; nobody in my family had ever had the power before. The other kids started avoiding me even more than before. They had no interest in playing with a kid that shocked them by accident or who made balls of colored light."

            Stillwater could not help himself. "You mean they wouldn't play with you just because you are mage gifted?"

            Tarin smiled at his incredulous voice. "Mage powers are not as common on the plains as they are in the Vales. They did not understand, their parents did not understand, and so they stayed away.

            "At about the same time I was training Shaydan, my mare. As soon as she was fully trained I would be considered an adult by the law, and my uncle wanted me to join the ranks of the Goddess sworn as soon as I reached full status. The problem was… it just did not feel right. I went to talk to the Shaman despite my own misgivings, only to have him confirm that I was not intended for the priesthood. The next full moon we walked the moonpaths together, seeking the wisdom of the Goddess. This was five years after the magestorms. We did not see anyone on the moonpaths, but the Shaman swore that he heard a disembodied voice say _"Teach the boy." _So he did. I was not the first student of the plains not Sworn to the Goddess, but I was one of the first.

            "I retreated into my own world of mage studies and scholarship, writing to mages as far away as Haven and White Winds to get different approaches. Magecraft is my passion, my life. Finally I reached the end of what the Shaman could teach me, shortly after reaching Master level. I can learn more still, I feel it within me. I looked for a teacher on the plains, but none of the Shamans of higher rank would take a non- Sworn as apprentice and none of those who would were of high enough rank to teach me much beyond where I was. So I wrote the Vales, specifically k'Vala, asking about a teacher. I can not stop my studies now, and I no longer fit in with my own people because of the power and because of my own attitudes."

            Stillwater looked over at the lad – no, man, he was young, but a man now – across the fire. So much to go through for one so young. He shook his head.  
            "Will you return to your clan after completing your training?"

            Tarin looked pained. "I have nothing to go back to. My Uncle is the only one I care for there aside from a few of the children, and he understands my need to leave. The children… they are two of my cousins, a boy and a girl. The boy is almost a man himself and is training a young gelding. The girl – Shaydan will go to her now as there will be no need for a horse in the Vale. That was my way of saying goodbye, they will understand with time." With a sigh the young man turned his back and lay down.

            Stillwater did the same, beginning to understand why this Shin'a'in was unlike any others he had met. He sighed and closed his eyes.

            _:Why__fledgling sad?: _Tosha's voice intruded on his thoughts.

            _:He__left his home:_

_            :All younglings leave nest:_

_            :I know love, but that doesn't make it easy:_

* * *

  


_Many thanks go out to Cat McDougall and mysticmoods for help getting my details right! This has not been beta read, so please tell me if there are any errors. I will fix problems with this chapter whenever I update the nest chapter._

_I did not know Tarin had such an unusual history… he keeps telling me more and more about himself as the days go by. We shall see where he leads!_

****

**_Caoilte_**_: I know the clan name is not cannon, but it was only going to come up that once and I do not have many of my books with me at the moment. _

**_Etcetera-cat_**_: Glad you like it! Chapters should be longer from here out, the first was more of an introduction that an actual chapter. k'Valdemar is the vale, as is covered in this chapter._

_Thank you also to **Kethry**and **oceanmate**for the reviews! *grin* I got more reviews for one chapter of the Valdemar fic than I ever did on other fics!_


	3. Linguistics

Tarin peered ahead, trying to discern the entrance to the Vale that Stillwater swore was only a couple hundred paces ahead. Nothing. He sighed in frustration.

            Stillwater gave him an ironic look. "Why don't you use magesight?"

            Tarin blushed at his idiocy and made the internal shift that let him see the energy patterns around him then peered ahead again.

            Stillwater watched in amusement as the younger man spat a stream of Shin'a'in that needed no translation then reverted to the trade tongue.

            "You knew that was too bright to look at!" he accused. 

            Stillwater laughed out loud. Over the weeks of travel the two had become comfortable with each other, sharing the work and boredom of travel in companionable silence, speaking only occasionally. Stillwater liked it that way; he was going to regret leaving one so like him in spirit behind.

            "Yes, I knew. That is one of the first things any Vale-trained mage learns. It is, however, useful for locating the vale from a distance."

            Tarin glared at him, but Stillwater could see the humor dancing behind the younger man's eyes.

_______________________________________

            As they passed through the veil Stillwater could make out a handful of people waiting for them. Stillwater had expected it, but he could tell that Tarin was a bit surprised, though he hid it well. Tarin's plains-trained eyes had missed the sentries in the trees, even though Stillwater had both seen and acknowledged the hidden scouts that would have sent word ahead to the Vale.

            Stillwater grinned and waved at the company assembled, recalling a few from previous visits. He could see a few smiles of greeting for him, though most were aimed at the young Shin'a'in at his side. Speaking of which… said Shin'a'in was no longer actually at his side. Stillwater glanced back to the veil in amusement as the usually stoic Tarin gaped openly at the towering trees and rich flora. Stillwater cleared his throat, causing his companion to look at him – then at their welcoming committee and blush.

            Stillwater grinned – it was nice to see Tarin showing some of what he thought for once! His smile grew even broader as two figures wound their way through the collection of Tayledras.

_______________________________________

Tarin gaped at the men approaching him. Like night and day, they appeared, the shorter with ice-white hair, a fluttering blue silk mask, and a many-layered confection of sky blue silks for robes and the taller with raven hair and robes of a blue so dark it almost matched his hair…

Tarin stopped that thought in its tracks. Yes these two men were prettier than any four Shin'a'in girls but still… He blinked and shook his head again, probably looking like a fool but nevermind that because the white haired one was talking to him. Or rather – talking _at_ him. Liquid syllables fell off his tongue, but Tarin did not understand a word of it. Apparently he looked pathetic because a laughing Stillwater broke into the strange man's flow of words with a sympathetic look at Tarin.

"Firesong, he doesn't speak a work of Tayledras, take pity and use the trade tongue!"

The silver-haired man had the grace to look abashed. "I am sorry Tarin, it never even crossed my mind to think that you would not understand Tayledras."

The man – Firesong looked so crestfallen that Tarin had to laugh. "Don't worry about it, I am sure I will learn quickly enough!"

At this comment Firesong got such a mischievous look on his face that Tarin had to wonder exactly what he had gotten himself into. "Oh, I'd say you will learn _very_ quickly!" By the Star-Eyed, the man sounded positively gleeful! _What_ had he gotten himself into?

Tarin glanced over at Stillwater who looked confused then faintly alarmed. "Firesong! You wouldn't inflict that on him the first day would you?"

Firesong smirked. "And why not?" Without waiting for an answer he turned to Tarin. "Would you prefer to speak fluent Tayladras before the sun sets this day? I warn you the process is slightly uncomfortable."

Stillwater grimaced. "He means 'slightly uncomfortable' like a horse's hoof to the ribs is 'slightly painful'."

Tarin gave them both a dubious look. "Well, I have been kicked by a horse before, but I learned from that not to stand behind the horse. I would say this is slightly more valuable than knowing where to stand around a horse."

Firesong laughed out loud at that and turned to the others, addressing them in a stream of Tayledras. They dispersed, but not before sending a series of sympathetic glances in Tarin's direction. He glanced at Firesong but the man's face was hidden by the thin silk mask.

A voice spoke from his other side and, startled, he turned to face Firesong's as yet unintroduced companion. "I am Silverfox, Firesong's bondmate." Tarin blinked at that. Granted the Tayledras were supposed to be more open than the Shin'a'in but… his thoughts were interrupted by Silverfox's voice. "We are the ranking elders in k'Vala, not that Firesong would ever get around to telling you that." Hint of humor there. "Be welcome here, Firesong has just told the others that formal introductions can wait until you can understand and be understood by the people you are being introduced to."

Tarin nodded. That would be better for all concerned. He was just left with one burning question. How in the nine hells was he going to learn an entire language by sunset?

_______________________________________

            Shortly after he was introduced to the means of that seemingly miraculous turn of events.

            "Tarin, this is Varlen, the king-stag of the k'Vala dyheli."

            The being so named lowered it's impressive horns in greeting. _:Greetings__, young mage:_ Tarin blinked in shock (really, this was beginning to feel like a habit), not so much as from being bespoken but because the creature so speaking looked like a strange breed of deer.

            Tarin recovered his scattered wits and inclined his head in greeting. "And to you, hoof-brother." His words were in Shin'a'in, instinctive for addressing a four-legged creature, but Varlen appeared to understand. Tarin continued, forcing his words into Common. "I understand that you are able to help me learn Tayledras?"

            _:I__ am: _There was a hint of a smile behind the dry mind-voice. _:You__ have been warned that this will be uncomfortable, correct?:_

"I have, Stillwater explained the process as we walked over."

            The dyheli inclined its head again. _:Then__ you might wish to lie down.:_

            Having been warned about his probable collapse should he not, Tarin followed the instructions and closed his eyes.

            When next he opened them the light seemed unwontedly harsh and his head felt twice the normal size. Stillwater's concerned face abruptly placed itself between Tarin and the light, for which Tarin was immensely grateful. Another person knelt beside him and held out a cup of something strange smelling while helping him to a sitting position. Silverfox gave a rueful glace at the cup. "It tastes abysmal, but it should help the headache."

            Tarin did not have to be told twice. He grasped the cup in a shaking hand and downed the dark liquid it contained. "I have been kicked by a horse before, but at least the horse missed my head." Firesong laughed at that.

            "Well, it appears that you've not lost your sense of humor at least."

            Tarin frowned then suddenly grinned. "I can understand you!"

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_To my readers, I am so glad you are enjoying Tarin's story! To those who have not figured out the time period, it is set some years after the Owl trilogy. Yes, I do realize that at the end of those books Firesong had taken up residence in k'Valdemar vale, there is a story behind his relocation which shall be covered in the next chapter._

**_Etcetera-cat: _**_I also grow weary of proverb-spouting Shin'a'in, though I love the people, which is why you will rarely if ever hear Tarin quote one._

_To **PrettyKittyOreo**, **Caoilte**, and **Snowfire the Kitsune** it is always good to hear encouragement!_


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